Special Guest, Ryan Anthony

MUSIC = HOPE

The 2014 premiere of A Brasstacular Christmas caused such a sensation for Bozeman Symphony audiences that we received an overwhelming outpouring of requests to present it again.  Well, your wish is our command as we present A Brasstacular Christmas, The Return! on December 9th and 10th, 2017. 

Current Principal Trumpet for the Dallas Symphony and former Principal Trumpet for the world famous Canadian Brass, Ryan Anthony will join the orchestra. Ryan, is known as one of the greatest trumpeters and entertainers in the world today. Having performed many times with Maestro Matthew Savery, Ryan convinced Matthew to collaborate on a new and humorous Christmas extravaganza. 

Savery and Anthony met in Michigan in 2002, while performing with the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra and since, they have performed several concerts together and become great friends.  Upon Ryan’s request, Savery and Anthony co-wrote the “Brasstacular Christmas” show and will repeat the December 2014 performance this December. “I never have as much fun as I do when I’m on stage with Ryan. It is always an honor to be on stage with a world-class musician but even more fun when it’s a close friend” - Matthew Savery.

​You’ll see them both ham it up while simultaneously being amazed at Ryan’s incredible
talent.  Join the Symphony as they perform Trumpet Voluntary, The Christmas Song, Deck the Horn, 
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, music from Polar Express, and much, much more.

Cancer Blows
Anthony brings a unique aspect to his music-making and performances as he has an incurable form of cancer called Multiple Myeloma.  Almost five years ago, Anthony had just completed a guest appearance with The Canadian Brass, and wasn’t feeling well.  After the concert, Ryan told his wife, Niki, that he felt like his entire body was “jangling” as he ran off-stage.
 
Chronic aches & pains had sent the 43-yr old to multiple doctors searching for the cause.  Blood tests revealed abnormalities but multiple doctors reassured him that “it can’t be cancer” because Ryan was too young to be a candidate for the types of cancers that caused his symptoms.  Fortunately, one doctor decided to test for cancer “just in case”.  The Monday after the Canadian Brass concert, Ryan & Niki got the call that no one anticipates or is prepared for – especially with two young children in elementary school.  Ryan had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a terminal cancer of the bone marrow that most often appears in patients 70 and older.
 
Ryan immediately began therapy at Baylor’s Sammons Cancer Center while he and Niki researched the places for his long-term treatment.  After researching hospitals all over the country, they decided to stay at Baylor in Dallas and Ryan began preparing for a stem cell transplant to be performed in the Spring of 2013.
 
Just ten years ago, Multiple Myeloma was a death sentence with a life span of 2-3 years. While the cancer is still considered incurable and terminal, recent, rapid advances in research have greatly extended the life span of newly diagnosed patients and hope for a cure is a real possibility.
 
When he was diagnosed, Ryan’s goal was to survive long enough to see his children, then just 6 and 11-years-old, graduate from high school. But, because he had responded so well to his treatment and at one point was in complete remission, Ryan & Niki both dare to hope for more.  Recently, Ryan has had to adjust his treatments as he continues to live with Multiple Myeloma and has been doing so by taking on new life experiences like climbing Mt Fuji with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.  

Photo Credit: Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma

 
Learn more about Ryan’s climb to Mt Fuji here.

During his transplant, Ryan was overwhelmed with phone calls from trumpet players all over the world. Everyone asked what they could do to help and Ryan jokingly started saying “we’ll all play a concert when I am healthy again and we’ll call it “Cancer Blows.”  As the weeks went by, the joke solidified into a real event with an impressive guest list.  Ryan & Niki realized the event could be more than just something for fun but could be used to raise awareness and money to further the research that has helped give their family a hope for a future.  Cancer Blows and the Ryan Anthony Foundation has turned music into hope. 
 
Through exciting & unique musical events featuring the talents of brass musicians worldwide, Cancer Blows raises both awareness and money to encourage research for cancers with a focus on blood cancers & Multiple Myeloma.  Maestro Savery joined Cancer Blows for the 2017 fundraising event in Dallas, Texas at the Meyerson Symphony Center on May 10th, 2017.  Featured on the performance were legendary trumpet players DOC SEVERINSEN (Tonight Show Band Leader; Legendary Jazz Artist), ARTURO SANDOVAL (World-Famous, Ten-Time Grammy Winning Artist), LEE LOUGHNANE (Founder & member of the Grammy Award Winning band Chicago), RASHAWN ROSS (Dave Matthews Band), RYAN ANTHONY (Cancer Blows founder; Principal Trumpet – Dallas Symphony Orchestra), and many more.
 
Maestro Savery conducted alongside World-Renowned Pops Symphony Conductor, Arranger and Jazz Trumpet Soloist Jeff Tyzik. All profits from Cancer Blows events benefit Baylor Health Care System Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.  View the video capturing the 2017 Cancer Blows event here: https://vimeo.com/219893801

Please join us for A Brasstacular Christmas on December 9th and 10th to be inspired by Ryan's incredible story and talent. 
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